As always, “Five & Three” brings you my favorite things in comics this week. Every week I pick my five favorite covers and three favorite panels to create “Five & Three”. I like to talk about why I picked the covers and panels and welcome hecklers and trend setters alike. If you disagree with a pick, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MarkAvo. If you think I should’ve picked something else or have a pick in mind for next week, give me a shout out and let me know.
This week I’m starting things off with a crazy indie cover I spotted on ComiXology, “Itty Bitty Bunnies in Rainbow Pixie Candy Land”. Art and writing on this wonderfully humorous comic is all from Dean Rankine. The book is only a buck and comes in at just under 100 pages! That’s a crazy deal for the amount of content but the book might not be to everyones tastes.
Image from ComiXology
Next up is “Elektra” #1 from Marvel. The cover art on this one is a spectacular display of the beauty ninja limbs can create courtesy of Michael Del Mundo. I think the page count is a little high for a four dollar book but as long as Marvel keeps the quality up then the readers will continue to buy them.
The cover on this book is creepy and gripping and Max Bemis deserves credit for setting the hair on my neck on end with “Evil Empire” #2. BOOM! Studios has been producing some of my favorite books lately. I got to hand it to them, they’re on top of their game.
Here’s an Image title in “Zero” #7. The book by Ales Kot has been an intriguing sci-fi spy thriller. The first cover to stick in my head this week was this issue by Matt Taylor.
The last cover for this week is an example of DC Comics getting covers right. I’ve complained in the past that DC’s covers aren’t as eye catching as the other publishers and this week they’re hitting above .500. That being said, this cover in particular was terrific. Even though it’s another typical “team splash” cover it’s done in a way that tells a bit of a story. It’s also a wonderful blend between dark and light and uses every amount of negative space available. Kenneth Rocafort is my favorite cover artist this week and with a cover like this I’m a little disappointed I dropped “Teen Titans” ten issues back. I guess I’ll have to borrow them from someone and get caught up before the relaunch this summer.
My favorite panels this week start with “Original Sin” #0. The book’s writing is by Mark Waid and it answers the question, “What is the Watcher watching for?” I like the young Nova and in these panels you see why. He’s excited to be a part of the super-heroes of Earth and is making memories. He wants to be a part of everything and shares his experiences with everyone he can. After all, who can a teenage super-hero talk to? The Watcher himself will always listen.
“Letter 44” by Charles Soule and Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque is superb storytelling. Oni Press has a hit on their hands that, in my opinion, not enough people are reading. The story of a letter from an outgoing president to an incoming one is simple enough. It’s the secret that 43 tells 44 though that makes this book what it is. The previous president started war and spent the country into a hole. He did so because of an alien space craft just outside the asteroid belt! What I love the most about this book has been the political intrigue and the real applications of space. The well-drawn crew in the panels below is studying the craft and they’re all in zero-G. The 2D image by Alburquerque is full of motion and the figures look like they’re about to float right out of the panel.
My last pick for the week is a Groot panel from one of the two backup stories in the double-sized “Guardians of The Galaxy” 14. I can’t want to see Groot come to life this summer so maybe that’s why picked this panel? It’s probably because of how it makes me feel like a kid again, or maybe it’s because it’s just fun? Either way, it’s the last pick this week and it’s a great one.
That’s all for now, if you’re aching for more comic book moments you can check out last week’s article here. If that doesn’t satiate you go checkout the deviantART Podcast where my friend’s and I geek out about art. If you’re all caught up on those fronts I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until next week. I’ll be here waiting!